


Beloved & Betrayals

by erroneous_answer



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Blood, Drugs, Eren wants to see the ocean, Eventual Smut, F/F, Gangs, Gen, I have no idea where this fic is going, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Most of the characters are going to show up at some time, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prostitution, Road Trips, Some character you like might die, Tags Are Hard, There is a lot more to the story than these tags, or get hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 03:05:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4547826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erroneous_answer/pseuds/erroneous_answer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a figure from his past passes away, Levi has yet another reminder of how shitty his life was. And even though he isn't proud of it, he can't help but deny, despise, and long for parts of it. But the past is never as far away as it seems, and there are plenty of people who just can't forget. So after certain events and an introduction to a certain green-eyed beauty, Levi finds himself in impossible situations that vary from bad to worse. Struggling to survive the present as his past presents itself again, Levi knows there can be only two outcomes.</p><p>   He can find himself.</p><p>   Or he can lose himself.</p><p>   Either way, Levi will never be the same again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters listed in this story or anything from Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan that I reference. I wish I did, but I don't. 
> 
> Hey! This is my first fanfiction here on AO3, so let me know if something seems off! I'll fix it as soon as I can.  
> Oh, and sorry about how slow this first chapter is. It's just to help you get to know the characters and their world before everything goes to hell.
> 
> I'd appreciate any advice (good or bad) so make sure to leave a comment.  
> Thanks and enjoy :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or any references I make to Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan throughout this story. I wish I did, but I don't. For entertainment purposes only. (Not sure what other purpose there is. I guess to make money would be one, but I'm not receiving financial profit from any of this. Well, except the twenty bucks I got from my friend who bet I couldn't write fanfiction. Ha, I showed her.)  
>    
> Hey! So this is my first fanfiction on AO3 so let me know if something seems off. 
> 
> Please, feel free to comment!
> 
> This isn't really a chapter. It's super short. The other chapters are about 4,000 words.

   It’s debatable.

 

   When people ask where a couple had met, the most common answer would be through something. I met him through a job, friends, school, mutual interests, ect. Levi's situation is, to say, a bit different.

 

   They had met before- many times, actually.

 

   Not everybody understands this concept, but Levi does. He doesn't have to see a person in front of him to meet them. Once he hears a name, a voice, or even a laugh, he connects with them. It’s like Ariadne’s string.

 

   To find his way through a labyrinth, noble Prince Theseus had used a ball of string given to him by a princess, Ariadne. He left a trail of string wherever he went. Theseus had used this to navigate through the maze and get to the center. He had marked where he had already been by string. The thread crossed and knotted were he had crossed often. Places that were never visited were bare.

 

   Some people in Levi’s life are surrounded by string- his best friend Hanji would be one of them. Her figure probably would look like one of a Mummy, thread looped around her like a second skin. That is also the same with Erwin- but perhaps not, as he has a larger silhouette.

 

   Maybe Levi could manipulate the string and use it as a gag. Hanji just needs shutting up. Erwin though… he isn’t the most talkative person, but when he does talk he could charm you like a snake. He has a way with manipulating people- but he wouldn’t dare do it to him. At least, Levi thinks he wouldn’t. Not that he would know if Erwin did.

 

   But he doesn’t need to be best friends with somebody to tangle them. And they don’t need to know it either. Levi guesses Hanji’s coworkers can’t see their lab coats underneath the threads. And the man who serves his coffee everyday is probably trying to detangle himself every morning.

 

   This whole string-thing isn’t flawless though. He only has to look or hear about someone to be connected to them. So not even Levi himself knows everyone his string latches onto. To make it even worse, when the string latches onto people, it follows them. And when they talk about him, it jumps. It latches onto them. The process continues.

 

   So when Levi was introduced to a certain Eren Jeager, it was obvious they had met before- many, many times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's pretty short. Get through Dawn and things will get a lot better- promise.


	2. Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi goes to a funeral, freaks out, and meets someone special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for how boring this chapter is- I just wanted to let you get to know some of the characters before everything goes to hell :)

 His clock had broken last week, and ever since then his phones alarm had woken him up in the mornings. It’s too bad that the power out lit is out of reach, because every once in awhile, while trying to press snooze, Levi takes the phrase “roll out of bed” a bit too literally.

 

   That is what happened today.

 

   It’s hard enough to detangle oneself from sheets. It’s even harder to do it when it's wrapped around their face and they can’t focus because _damn_ _it that alarm won’t stop beeping…_

  

   As Levi presses the “Snooze” button on the screen, his body relaxes. Wet strands of dark hair loom in front of his eyes as he glares at the mess around him. Blankets litter the floor. Papers sprawl across it. Drops of water stain it. Among all of this, an empty cup hides in the corner in shame. It should hide. Even though he had knocked off the glass of water, which had landed on it’s closet target- aka the bulge in the blanket that was his head, Levi still doesn’t appreciate the shower it had given him. Levi grimaces and glances down. His legs are still tangled in the blankets, but he figures it’s better now that he can see. And breath. And be in silence. Without that stupid alarm.

 

   What is the deal with there being no “Turn Alarm Off” button on the screen when the alarm starts? The only other option is to press snooze and that makes the first thing you do in the morning is to log into your phone. And that promotes laziness.

 

   Levi quickly shuts off his phone alarm and begins to work on the knot surrounding his legs. The sheets are a clean unstained white, with the exception of the waters wet spots. Levi’s hands roughly tugs them into different directions as he sighs. He has no idea of how he could even get this tangled. He rolled out of bed! Levi should just be unrolling the blankets. He should just be rolled up like a human burrito. Instead he’s stuck inside a web of sheets at 5 o’clock in the morning.

 

  There are probably thousands of teenagers out there being even more lazy and staying on their phone after they are supposed to be waking up. Tch. Stupid brats. They can’t even wake up right.

 

   In all fairness, neither could Levi. Sometimes.

 

   As he finishes detangling himself from his sheets, he stands up and sighs at the mess. He moves the blankets back onto the bed and begins to dance around the edges of his bed, making it. Perhaps someone taller could just lean across the bed and make it instead of running side to side. He frowns. That's probably true. He quickly finishes by folding the top of the blankets and straightening his smooth silk pillows. Levi steps back. Not bad.

 

   He glances down. The water isn’t completely dry, so he goes to grab some paper towels from the kitchen, reaching over to the corner to bring the empty cup with him.

  

  After mopping up the remaining water, he sets the towels into the garbage can adjacent to his bed and quickly gets changed. This whole mess had put a dent into his routine- even though this happens more often than he’d like to admit. He likes routine, but to his dismay, it can't be followed everyday. Things change. The world evolves. Life goes on.

 

  Levi tugs and fixes his shirt collar in the mirror next to the door of his closet. His suit jacket remains on the hanger in his closet, ironed and, for now, untouched. All of his suits were tailored to his small stature, and the classic black suit he had just put on is no different. It had cost him extra, but Levi can't stand even looking at the "suits" they made in his size. They were cheap, ill-fitting, and… junior size.

 

   Before grabbing his jacket, Levi reaches down to grab the papers and books that had fallen off of his desk. Careful not to wrinkle any of them, he holds them with gentle hands. As much as he hates to, Levi knows that he'll have to organize them later if he wants to be on time for work. He places them back on his now-dry nightstand. Levi sighs, looking regretfully at the small stack of papers in front of him, and grabs his calendar book.

 

 The small pocket book fits perfectly in his palm as he flips the small papers to the marked page. Organized and neat reminders flash by as he skims the pages, looking for the current date. Finally, the top of the paper is marked with bold writing. **September 7th-9th**. Levi looks to the first entry on the page, curling his lips inwards and furrowing his eyebrows.

 

  Written in his own, neat hand writing is something he would never think he could forget. Red ink circles and surrounds the date, and the ink trails to the line beneath it. The entry was almost bare except for two lines.

 

       _No Work Today_

Carla Jeager's funeral- 10 o'clock.

 

  Levi sits back onto his bed, eyes not leaving the red painted writing.

 

  Without looking away, he unplugs his phone and dials. The phone projects the voice of his business partner.

 

  "Hello, Erwin speaking." Levi lets out a sign and sends a glace towards his nightstand. I guess I'll be able to organize those papers after all, he thinks bitterly, as he begins to speak.

 

  "Hello, Erwin. It's Levi. I'm not going to be coming into work today…"

 

 

 

   The wind curls around Levi, surrounding him like a blanket. The sun peeks out of the clouds, offering little comfort from the mornings chill. Even the priest couldn’t suppress a slight shiver as the wind picks up. Levi is no different. He crosses his arms and grabs his elbows, rubbing his arms.

 

   The closed coffin sits next to the open ground. The sun reflects off its polished wood. The casket that clothes her fits her perfectly, Levi thinks to himself. Carla Jeager deserves the best, even in death. Her shiny smiles reflected the sun just as her new outfit. It is clean and polished but humble and warm- not unlike Carla herself.

 

   “Carla Jeager brought happiness to those around her. Even as a child…”

 

   The priest summarizes her life into merely minutes. Levi knows there is much more sure she did, as whoever her string touched felt an overwhelming abundance of warmth and love. From the short time he had known her, he had enjoyed being entangled. Thinking about her, a feeling of guilt fills Levi. He had always meant to get back in touch with her, but he kept putting it off. Perhaps he wanted to be more successful by the time he was supposed to see her again- to make her proud. Or maybe he was just nervous of how she would react to seeing the kid she left return…

 

   Levi shakes his head. Whatever the reason, it does no good now. He hadn't gone to see her. Now he would never get the chance.

 

   The grass around him is perfectly cut. The grave stone just beyond the empty ground is perfectly carved. The lawn around him is perfectly clean, with no leaves tumbling around him. The people around him are the only thing not perfect in this eerie scene. Sobs surround him, and he can hear tears fall to the ground. A decent amount of people stand around the coffin; several of those people crying and saying their final goodbyes.

 

   The priest gestures to the closed casket.

 

   Levi, along with some others, politely maneuver through the people and place their rose onto the coffin. The roses lay dull, lifeless, and limp. He’s always hated this part of funerals. He's never understood why they made the deceased rest with the now dead and declawed flowers.

 

   The rose falls out of his hand, bouncing onto the wood. It was time to say his final goodbye.

 

   Levi stares at his flower as the men prepare to finish the funeral. _Thank you- for everything._

 

   The bare trees wave their goodbyes as Carla’s coffin is lowered into the ground. _It was an honor to stand beside you._

 

   Levi’s eyes track the path of her casket as it disappears from his view forever.  _Goodbye, Carla._

 

 

 

 

 

   The trees blow as the wind whispers in Levi's ears. This was definitely a dramatic way to start the day, and it left Levi with a sinking feeling in his chest and a dull taste in his mouth. He had thought that the next time he would see Carla he would leave with the high of approval and the accomplished feeling that comes with healing old wounds. Instead Levi feels the sting of open scars and the heaviness of guilt.

 

   Levi reaches into his suit jacket pocket and fishes out his keys. He is amazed by all of the people that she had touched. He knows she had lived a relatively quiet life, so he did not expect so many people to show up. Carla must really have done a lot.

 

   Even now, Levi is shocked by how little he had known about her. He had only known her for a short amount of time, but in that he had thought he had gotten to know her better than most. As Levi gets closer to his car, he presses down on the unlock button. _I guess not._

 

   He grasps the handle, pulling towards his left, and steps into the car. Not a thing is out of place. His clean car smells of leather, from the seats, and is decorated with a polished wood glaze near the inner handle and around the controls close to the center screen. Even the screen doesn't have a fingerprint on it, despite its common use from its owner. Levi closes the door.

 

   "Fall is starting fast…" He observes as he opens the glove compartment. Inside, a map lays bellow a small lint roller, some napkins, and his leather gloves. He reaches and grabs the gloves, setting them back onto his lap as he closes the compartment. He smoothly snaps them on, his fingertips desperate for protection from the cold.

 

   He starts his car and the vents begin to blast out warm air. Levi carefully backs out of his parking spot next to the curb, wary of the traffic. But soon he inevitably becomes part of the very thing he was cautious of a few seconds earlier.

 

   Sitting in traffic, he glances at his watch. It is only 11:30, and he already wants a drink. Levi frowns. It'll have to be a day of distracting himself until he could get that drink, he thinks as he rhythmically taps his fingers against the steering wheel. The car behind him honks at him. Already in a bad mood, Levi honks back and introduces the other irritated driver to his middle finger.

 

   This is going to be a long ride home.

 

 

 

 

 

   His apartment can not get anymore clean.

 

   It's 3:47 and Levi has done everything not to go insane. The first thing he had done when he got home from the funeral was call Erwin, but Erwin had insisted that he take the whole day off.

 

   "After all, this is the first time you have taken time off work in a long time," Erwin had said, "so take advantage of that time and leave the work to me. No arguing, Levi. I can handle it." And before Levi could protest, he had hung up.

 

   He's sure Erwin could handle doing all the work for a day. But the problem is that Levi is not sure _he_ could handle _not_ doing all of the work for a day.

 

   After calling Erwin, he had gone to the gym to work off some steam. After spending a good two hours down there, he had realized that no matter how many miles he runs and how many weights he lifts, it wasn't going to help him.

 

   So that’s how he ended up cleaning his apartment over and over and over.

 

   Cleaning is his way of coping with reality- the more he cleans- the more he concentrates on scrubbing away the dust and dirt on the floor, the less his mind wonders.

 

   When Levi's mind wanders… he doesn't want a reminder.

 

   But the walls and floor around him are completely cleaned. The lamp spots not a single spec of dust. The couch cushions and pillows are fluffed. The floor has been vacuumed. The windows have been wiped. He continues his mental checklist.

 

   He has done everything.

 

   More than once, even.

 

   There is nothing to do.

 

   Except clean himself.

 

   The sweat from the gym had dried by now, leaving the stale feeling of salt on his skin. It would be nice to shower now- the cool water might help him relax and calm down. He carries the vacuum to the linen closet.

 

   Putting things away needs no concentration. It's busy work. Levi continues to move the supplies from their previous resting places to place them back on their dedicated space on the shelves. This is doing very little to distract him. The tasks he has to do are anything but distracting. Levi tries to focus on the products in front of him. Pick up, walk over, scan, place, walk back. Pick up, walk over, scan, place, walk back. Pick up, walk over, scan, place, walk back.

 

  After a couple of trips, the cleaning supplies are all put away, and Levi carries himself to his bathroom. He flips the light switch only to see the mirror right in front of him.

His grey eyes give away the most. They look sharp, ignited even. But his expression paints him bored. Hm. At least Levi could keep up most of his appearance.

 

   He turns the shower on, twisting the knob towards the red. Levi hangs his towel on the wall next to the shower, the collection of woven blue threads falling limp as Levi lets go. He starts to strip off his clothing when the familiar sound of his phone ringing fills the room. _Beep! Beep!_

 

   His lips turned downwards, he walks to his phone. The hot water from his shower starts to stain the mirror with steam. Reaching for his phone, his bare torso rests on the counters cold surface. The cool mixed marble contrasts against his warm pale skin as he takes hold of his phone. Bringing it back towards him, Levi answers.

 

   "Yes?"

 

   An energetic voice replies to him.

 

   "Levi! Hey, I heard you took a day off. That's pretty rare, so as soon as I heard the news from Erwin, I called you. But you didn't pick up. I guess you ignored me. Ha, you really need to stop doing that. You know what if I was in real trouble? Would you even feel bad if I had gotten hurt because you didn't answer your phone? Or would-"

 

   "Hanji," Levi interrupts her, shifting his cell phone to the other ear as he exits the noisy bathroom. That woman has got to stop rambling. "get to the point. Why did you call me?"

 

  "Oh, yeah!" The shitty-eyed scientist exclaims. "I was worried about you. Are you okay? Oh, and I know this will probably be a wasted effort, knowing you, but what happened for you to miss work?"

 

   Levi's not going to answer any of that. Even though he knows Hanji is simply worried about him, he can't tell her. For both of their sakes. So he goes with an answer that is straightforward enough that Hanji will understand, but vague enough to not give anything away.

 

  "I need a drink" Levi simply states.

 

  Hanji laughs on the other side of the line.

 

  "Of course you do- I thought you would! I already asked Erwin. So, how does 5 o'clock at the old Club Maria work?"

 

  Levi pulls the phone away from his ear and checks the time. It's just approaching four, giving him an entire hour to get ready. He carries the phone back to his ear.

 

  "Sure. See you then."

 

  Hanji's voice projects as he hangs up the call.

 

  "Okay, byyyyye L-"

 

  He cuts her goodbye short with the press of a button. Levi turns off his phone and walks back into the bathroom. He had left the door open on the way out to let out some of the steam, and it had worked miracles for the mirrors. Although, the room still feels too heavy with fog and too hot with mist.

 

  Setting his phone back down on the counter, he quickly strips. Levi snatches up his toiletries bag and heads into the shower. Inside the bag contains small bottles of shampoo, his razor, ect. It holds everything he could possibly need, even though it is not that big. Levi brings it wherever he might need it- which mostly consists of the gym. Sometimes, though, if he goes out planning to get laid, he brings a bag and stuffs that one inside. He gets some odd looks in the mornings when he uses it, but he would rather have his teeth fall out before he uses their toothbrush. Regardless of whether he had swapped spit with them, he is not going to swap toothbrushes. No way in hell.

 

  Warm water glides across his body. His hair mats down on his face, and Levi pushes it back. A calm feeling consumes Levi as he lets the water surround him. He closes his eyes. It's nice. Levi pushes back another stray hair. But he needs to shampoo.

 

  He reaches out for the familiar feel of his bag. His fingertips feel a smooth surface- the bag. He opens his eyes. After zipping open the top, Levi blindly thrusts in his hand and closes it on where he had though he had put the shampoo.

 

  "Uhn-!" Levi retracts his hand as if something had bit him. His hand throbs as his other hand grasps it. A small scratch neatly presents itself across his hand, blood dripping but deluded by water. His razor.

 

  How… incredibly _stupid_. His razor is in the bag, and he had just thrust his hand into it.

 

  This is something Hanji would do. Not Levi.

 

  Levi watches as his wound begins to bleed faster. Water mixes with blood, causing the light pink mix to drip from his fingers. Captivated by the discolored water, he moves his hand away from the water.

 

   Red. No longer pink, the blood pools on his hand. Levi, without thinking, swipes and scoops up the blood with his other hand, smearing it. Now both hands are bloody.

 

   But that isn't enough.

 

   There is never enough.

 

   Levi reaches back into his bag and grabs the razor.

 

   He presses it next to the wound.

 

   And digs.

 

  And slides.

 

  And slices.

 

  And watches.

 

 Levi sets down his razor. Moving his hand up towards the wall, he paints red. His hand moves on its own accord, having had the symbol drawn ingrained into both of their minds.

 

 He takes his hand away from the white shower wall. The blood drips down with the water, the water below him now a bright red. Levi, eyes not leaving the symbol in front of him, brings his hand to face. The familiar sent of blood mixes with water as he marks his face with his injury. Blood leaves a trail as Levi brings it down his face, his fingers getting caught on his lips. A metallic taste calls for Levi's attention, but he just stares at the image in blood in front of him.

 

  Melting wings, painted in blood, captivate Levi's gaze. The water from the shower distorts the image, but Levi would know the symbol anywhere.

 

  He stands, hypnotized, in the bloody water. The water swirls around him, again and again, as time goes on. The overlapping wings on the wall slowly disappear as water erases it.

 

  Levi blinks at the empty white wall.

 

   What… was he just doing?

 

  He looks down at his hands.

 

  And pales.

 

  _No, not again._

 

  Levi gazes at the slashes on his palm. They are deep, painful, and- purposeful. He grits his teeth and snatches up his bag. The hand needs to be bandaged, and the sooner he gets out of the shower to do that, the better.

 

 

  

 

  Warmth was thrust upon him as he opens the doors to the bar to Club Maria. The heat from the grinding and dancing people around him overwhelms him upon entry. Gross- but whatever. He's here for the alcohol.

 

  Walking towards the bar, he adjusts the bandage around his hand. It feels out-of-place and bulky around his hand, but it's something he's just going to have to deal with. And if anybody asks-

 

  "Levi, hey! We're over here! We even saved a spot for you! How nice are we?" Hanji calls. Levi scans the crowd, then sees Hanji obnoxiously waving her arm through the tall two dancing people in front of him. Levi twists around the couple, waiting for Hanji to notice his bandaged hand. As soon as he steps in front of her, Hanji's eyes widen and Erwin raises his eyebrows.

 

  "Hey Levi," Erwin greets, sending an obvious glance to his cast as if to say _What's with the bandage?_

 

  Hanji voices Erwins question. "Woah, what happened to your hand?" She exclaims, mouth gaping. Levi rolls his eyes and walks to his seat on Hanji's left.

 

  "Calm down Four-eyes, it's not that bad." He waves the bartender over and orders. He turns back to a curious Hanji and Erwin. "I was cleaning up and accidentally scratched my hand while picking up some glass. Some idiot I hired to clean my windows fucked up big time and fled the scene."

 

  Hanji nods, but Erwin doesn't look convinced. Levi ignores the questioning gaze from Erwin. He's not here to talk about his hand, he's here to get drunk.

 

  "Whatever you say, Levi- it looks pretty bad to me." Hanji joins Erwin, both of his friends staring him down.

 

  Levi leans forward. "You might want to get your glasses checked. You already have bad enough vision without the shitty glasses, shitty-glasses." He taps the glass with his finger.

 

  Hanji grins, throws her head back, and laughs. "You're such a cutie." He scowls at the name. She should know better. "Anyways, I know you wanted a drink, and we're here now. So, let's drink!"

 

 

 

 

 

  Levi hasn't been downing them as fast as Hanji, but he certainly is more drunk than Erwin. Hanji, like the crazy person she is, mumbles as her head rests on the bar, a pool of spit beneath her mouth. Levi looks at her with an expression of disgust and flinches. Gross.

  

   Erwin, only the other hand, has had little, if any, alcohol. He sits on his seat, twirling his straw, observing his two friends in front of him. Levi sends him a glance, but Erwin pays him no mind- suspicious.

 

   Levi, on the other hand, is only buzzed. He's built a tolerance to alcohol over the years, and it makes it all too hard to get drunk. Sometimes, like when he dines out with his acquaintances at work, he likes it. Levi always watches, amused, as his normally composed coworkers slobber over each other, obviously drunk, while trying to out-drink him. But most of the time it sucks. Because he likes being drunk. And there are many times when he wants to become drunk- like now.

  

   Levi, sour, picks up his glass. He'll have to drink more if he is planning to get wasted tonight.

 

   A gentle finger hesitantly taps his shoulder. Surprised at the touch, Levi almost drops his glass. What the-? He sets the glass down and turns around, ready to snap at the idiot who had approached him.

 

   But as soon as he turns around, he is met with a familiar set of beautiful green eyes. Levi freezes and stares at the obviously nervous kid in front of him. This… couldn't be.

 

  The boy tentatively smiled at the older man. It's impossible. It can't be!

 

  Biting his lip, the bright-eyed boy softly speaks, his voice getting louder and more confident with each word. "Um- ah, sorry if I- uh, startled you. I thought I had seen you somewhere, but now I'm not quite so sure." It has to be. Levi stares fixedly at a spot on the floor. He thinks back.

 

  Out of the corner of his eyes, he can see the boy sticking out his hand and grinning. "Hi-"

 

  _Carla Jeager is survived by her only son_ \- Levi's mouth goes dry.

 

  "My name is-"

 

  "Eren."

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Great job getting through it! Now things start to get a bit more interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren go and get coffee together. Eren learns about Levi and his mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter. Good luck.
> 
> Oh, and I don't want to give too much away but the next chapter is where everything starts going to hell. Thanks Eren.

"Eren." His green eyes widen as he becomes flustered.

 

   "Um… how did you-?"

 

   "You were right, you have seen me before." Levi stares at Eren grimly, waiting for him to put the pieces together.

 

   Erens expression goes from contemplative to grim as he remembers where he had seen Levi. His face falls and his shoulders slump.

 

   "Oh, yeah." The boy pauses, once again looking contemplative. He's almost cute like this. "You were at my moms funeral. Why?" Eren purses his lips and furrows his eyebrows. Everything about him screams curiosity, but Levi is not going to start on the heavy subject. At least, not tonight. He really needs another drink.

 

   "I knew her for awhile." He goes with the most vague answer he can, and he almost smirks at the unamused expression on Erens face. The boy sighs in frustration and runs a hand through his brown hair.

 

   He has an uncanny resemblance to Carla. All of Erens features, including his tan skin, green eyes, and brown hair, all also presented themselves on her. He's most certainly pretty, if not handsome. Levi suddenly wonders if he's interested in men- but then he remembers this brat is probably not even legal, and that he is the son of Carla Jeager.

 

   "Could you at least give me an idea? This is my mother I'm talking about. I recognized everybody at the funeral," Eren pleads desperately. He looks Levi directly in his eyes and stands up straight in defiance. "except you. You were the only one I didn't know there."

 

   The determined expression on the boys face looks at home there, as if it appeared often. He has a feeling he can be as stubborn as hell- so Levi decides to give him what he wants. Why not? It's not like it's some big secret he has to keep. He just doesn't like talking about it, especially with no reason. And now he has a reason- a good one too.

 

   Levi makes it obvious that he is looking around at the audience, completely overlooking the boy in front of him. "Yeah, sure. Just…" He looks back at Eren. "not here."

 

   Eren obviously didn't expect the older man to give in to his request, as he almost jumps with surprise and excitement.

 

  "Really?" He exclaims, but then, noticing his own eagerness, Eren calms himself down. "Where, then, if not here?"

 

   Levi thinks for a moment, and comes to an easy conclusion.

 

  "I hope you like coffee, brat" Eren nods.

 

  "Yeah, who doesn't?" Levi ignores him.

 

  "We can meet up at Wall Rose Café- the one near the park and bike shop. If you need the address I have it." Levi offers, but Eren shakes his head.

 

  "It's okay, I know where you're talking about." Eren stops, looking strangely confused. Was he lying about knowing the address? "But I don't think it's open this late?" He glances at Levi.

 

  Levi almost slaps the kid on the back of the head.

 

  "Well we wouldn't go now, we'd go tomorrow or something." Levi points out obviously, gesturing to his glass. Erens face flushes.

 

  "Oh! Um, sorry." He mumbles an apology. Levi smirks. "Anyways, so, ah, would around nine work?"

  

  Levi nods. Tomorrow is a Saturday, and he had already done most of his weekend cleaning earlier today, so he doesn't have much going on.

 

  "I guess."

 

  Eren turns around, his back facing Levi, looking back and waving at him. "Great! Nice meeting you- oh." Eren stops and turns back around, waiting for Levi expectedly.

 

  "Levi. Just Levi." He answers.

 

  The brat grins. "Levi." He states, turning back around. "It was nice meeting you, Levi!" Eren calls as he walks into the crowd. He watches the boys back as he disappears. _What a weird kid._

 

   He turns back around in his seat, immediately noticing Erwins curious stare.

 

   Facing Erwin, Levi flicks him off and turns back towards his drink. He takes a swig, finishing it. Damn, this is exactly what he needs right now, he thinks as he orders another- and another, and another…

 

 

 

 

   What. The. Fuck.

 

   Levi groans. Hangovers have never been his thing, so he always leaves a glass of water close to his bed after a night out. If he does that he at least won't get dehydrated, so it numbs some of the symptoms. But the headache- still there.

 

   The light off, Levi feels around his nightstand for his phone. Soon he feels the plastic case against the glass counter. Got it.

 

   Levi flinches as the bright light from his phone shines at his face. The first thing he does is turn the brightness down- his headache can't handle much more artificial sunlight. The second thing he does is check the time.

 

   The numbers 6:17 show themselves on the screen. It's pretty early for the morning after a night out drinking. He turns off his phone, about to toss it back onto the nightstand.

 

   A fleeting thought makes him turn it back on, quickly glancing at the corner of the phone. He notices the alarm symbol is missing. He thinks back, trying to recall if he needs to set an alarm for anything.

 

   He remembers last night- Erwin calling him a cab, Erwin dragging Hanji into his car (getting some very strangle looks, he'd imagine, as shitty-glasses was throwing a tantrum at that point), Levi getting completely wasted, and Eren asking to meet with him.

 

   _Eren- that's right._

 

   The brat knows how to leave an impression, even if he realizes it or not. Levi just can't forget the boy- and that's not just because he is Carla's son. Eren has a personality that makes it impossible to forget him. He's driven and determined- something hard to find among todays youth. And his appearance doesn't help either. Levi can only imagine what his lips would look like wrapped around-

 

  Levi sets the alarm on his phone for later. Right now, he needs all the sleep he can get. All this thinking is making his head pound.

  

 

 

   Wall Rose Café is a very homey place. It has a comfy, relaxed atmosphere that people can't help but love. Even Levi is not immune to the coziness of the café- hence why it has become a ritual of some sorts to come and order coffee or tea (depending on the day) every time he has extra time in the morning.

 

   Levi normally comes and leaves alone. But today is different.

 

   Walking into the café, Levi scans the room for the bright-eyed boy. His gaze settles on a figure next to the window. The sun reflects on his hair as he stares out at the world beyond the window. Erens eyes are glossed over, unfocused. He's probably daydreaming. Levi gets the overwhelming urge to scold him for doing that in public- Eren can easily become a target if he does that.

 

   Levi tears his eyes away from Eren and walks up in the counter, about to order some simple English-Breakfast Tea, but the overly-energetic teenage girl behind the counter had other ideas.

 

   "Hello, sir! What can I do for ya?" She asks and smiles at him. Levi glares at her, annoyed by her preppiness, but her smile stays plastered on her face. _Impressive._

 

    After his short glaring match, he rolls his eyes and orders.

 

   "One English-Breakfast tea-" He looks down at the girl. She's still smiling. "please."

 

   The girls blue eyes widen and her smile grows into a grin.

 

   "You like tea too? Nobody likes tea anymore! You see, I love tea. It's my favorite thing ever. But I only like Earl Grey. And I have to add like a ton of sugar and honey because the taste is pretty watery and gross without it- but really though, tea is amazing!" Levi stares at her, dumbfounded. What the heck?

 

   "No thanks-"

 

   "Oh, you should try Earl Grey. I'll change the order for you. Here, I'll even give you some honey and some extra su-" Levi interrupts the babbling hipster. Even Hanji isn't as bad as this.

 

   "No- I'll just stick with my plain English-Breakfast tea, thank you very much." He glares at the girl again, then begins to turn around to the table Eren's waiting at.

 

   The hipsters smile falters for a moment, then returns at full force.

 

   "Okay, no problem! I can get you an Earl Grey and one of whatever-you-just-ordered! I would get Earl Grey though. You are so missing out. Seriously though! I'll make the Earl Grey extra special because you have to learn to love it. So, how much sugar and honey would you like in it? Oh, how much sugar and honey do you need in the- um what was it called again? Ha, I have such a bad memory! You know what, let me guess. You look like the kind of guy who-"

 

  "Wants a normal cup of English-Breakfast tea with nothing in, on, or under it- nothing more, nothing less. I'll be sitting over there-" Levi points to the seat across from Eren. "so call me when you have the order ready. My name is Levi; spelt L-E-V-I with no hearts over the "i" and with no loops on or around the L, E, or V. Capitalize the "L". Got it? Good. Bye." Levi sets the money for the tea on the table and suddenly spins around, leaving a gapping girl behind him. _How annoying._

 

  The sound of muffled laughter makes itself known as Levi gets closer to the table. Eren, who is wearing a simple graphic T-shirt (Printed on the shirt is some shitty joke about peanut butter and jelly- Levi doesn't get it at all.) and a pair of jeans, covers his mouth with is hand, laughter escaping between cracks. His own drink, (coffee, judging by the smell) steams in front of him.

 

  Levi pulls out his chair, now at the table, and sits down. For some reason, Eren is still laughing. Levi frowns.

 

  "Oi, brat, what's so funny?"

 

  Eren laughs harder for a moment, but then slowly calms himself down. Meanwhile, Levi is impatiently waiting for Eren to stop giggling like a madman. _You know, if I wasn't so irritated about how annoyingly obnoxious he acting, I would have thought that his laugh is kind of cute._

 

  Finally now calm, Eren sends him a smile.

 

  "She's pretty chatty isn't she?" He teases, leaning towards Levi.

 

  "Who?" Levi, confused, asks. Eren laughs again, but quickly withers underneath Levi's glare.

 

  "The chic at the counter- the one you completely destroyed!" Levi's influence from the glare fades as Eren falls right back to his regular self. Eren grins at him, waiting for an answer.

 

  "Hm, I guess." He replies nonchalantly. Immediately, Eren starts laughing again. Soon all that is visible of him are his arms, head, and back; his arms wrapped around his face (which is planted into the table), his hair sticking out of his self-made-arm-shield, and his back unevenly falling and rising to his laughter.

 

  Levi rolls his eyes.

 

  A timid voice barely can be heard over the sound of Eren as a steaming cup of tea is set on the table. Levi looks up.

 

  "Here is your English-Breakfast tea, sir." The blonde girl from earlier mumbles, avoiding Levi's eyes. Levi's sure if she wasn't obligated to serve him as a customer, the girl would be sprinting away from him screaming.

 

  She starts to turn back, but the girl hesitantly stops mid-way.

 

  "Is- is that all sir?" She asks, her voice barely above a whisper. Levi nods, content.

 

  "Yes that will be all." The girl nods back, her head still bowed in submission.

 

  "Enjoy your drinks," She mumbles towards the two, and quickly scuttles back behind the counter. Eren sends a glance towards Levi.

 

  "You know, you've probably scarred her for life. She was even too afraid to call for you, going to the extremes not to anger you." He jokingly states, observing Levi for his reaction. They both grab their cups and take a small sip.

 

  Levi shrugs his shoulders. "She'll get over it soon enough. Just watch, by the time we leave here she'll have bounced back to normal." Eren leans back and nods.

 

  Minutes fly by as the two sit silently across from each other, the occasional sound of the door opening and someone ordering being the only sound surrounding them.

 

  Eren suddenly clears his throat and leans forwards, his hands surrounding the warm cup in front of him.

 

  "So, um, I asked you yesterday how you knew my mom." He restates hesitantly.

 

  Levi takes a deep breath, setting his tea down in front of him. He sits up, his hands neatly folded on the table.

 

  "Hm. First I have some questions for you." Levi waits for Erens authorization.

 

  "Oh- um, okay. Shoot."

 

  "How old are you?" Erens face turns pink.

 

  "Uh, I'm sorry, but what does this have to do with my mom?" He asks, taken by surprise.

 

  "Just answer the question, brat." Levi glowers at him. A blush covers the boys face, obvious despite his tan. Eren stares at Levi with a curious and embarrassed gaze, but he soon answers.

 

  "Twenty-two."

 

  Levi does the math in his head. Eren's twenty-two, and Levi's thirty. That means… he was right. Damn it.

 

  "Last question- when is your birthday?" Levi asks, watching Eren become even more confused.

 

  "Um, March 30th." He squints his eyes at Levi. But Levi pays no mind- his suspicion's confirmed. Sighing, he begins to speak.

 

  "Okay- so to start, your mother, for awhile, was my foster mother. I was only six when I first had met her…"

 

 

 

   Levi almost folds underneath the weight of his duffle bag. It's not very big, but Levi's really small compared to other kids his age. He knows he's short and skinny, but the last person who had pointed it out got a knee to his crotch- nobody has called attention to it since.

 

   He's wearing his routine introduction clothes- a nice pair of jeans and a dress shirt. It's a bit too big on him, as the sleeves had to be rolled up and the jeans are sliding against the ground as he walks, but it's all he has. He'll make due.

 

   Footsteps echo against the silent steps as Levi walks to the front door with his assigned worker next to him. The social worker is really tall, even to the adults. Levi wonders if it's possible to grow to his height one day. Or could he be…?

 

   "Are you a giant?" Levi pipes up. The man doesn't look down at him. Maybe he couldn't hear him all the way down here?

 

   "Hey mister, are you a giant?" He repeats eagerly, raising his voice slightly. The man looks down at him, his deep brown eyes staring at the kid beneath him.

 

   "Are you a dwarf?" The social worker replies. Levi frowns.

 

   "I- I don't think so?" Levi purses his lips and thinks. What if he really is a dwarf? He's not growing very much, and dwarfs are also small. He's small. He could be a dwarf!

 

   They get to the door and the worker rings the doorbell. Levi still doesn't look away from the man. He didn't even have to stand on his toes to reach the doorbell! _I bet he's really strong… I hope he doesn't get mad at me._

 

  The sound of the door opening interrupts his thoughts. Levi jumps back behind the social worker, careful not to touch him.

 

  "Hello?" A soft voice comes from the open door.

 

  "I'm here with the kid," The mans voice pauses _. Wow, his voice is really deep!_ "Levi- I think."

 

  Hearing his name, Levi becomes curious. He slowly peaks out from behind the mans black slacks.

 

  A woman stands in the doorways, her brown hair pulled to the side in a low pony-tail. She's not as tall as the man in front of him, but she still has a lot of height compared to Levi. He looks up at her face- and notices her staring at the barely-visible-Levi, her green eyes sparkling. She smiles at him.

 

   "Hello there, Levi." She waves at him. He stares at her, unmoving. The women lets out a small laugh and steps back, opening the door. "Why don't you two come inside? Levi can explore and I'll help you with some of the paperwork." She offers to the man.

 

    He starts to walk into the house, Levi trailing behind him. Taking a big step into the house, the door shuts behind him. As he continues to walk with the man, a woman's voice stops him.

 

   "Hey Levi?" Levi stops, turning to the voice. The woman from earlier leans down, her hair bouncing. "You can set your things down here. We can put them away later." He nods, setting his bag on the floor. A loud thump is heard as it drops onto the floor. He immediately feels the effect. Much better.

 

   The woman must have been able to see his relief on his face- she giggles at his expression, smiling at him.

 

   Levi stands in the doorway, waiting to be told what to do. But the woman doesn't say anything. She stares at him for a moment, a smile on her face. _Her teeth are really white…_

 

   She sticks her hand out.

 

   "My name is Carla Jeager. You can call me Carla." She gently takes Levi's hand, shaking it. "It's nice to meet you! What's your name?" Levi recalls that she had called him by his name earlier, but the wom- Carla, seems nice, so he'll remind her. He copies her example.

 

   "Levi. Just Levi." He shakes her hand. "It's nice to meet you too."

 

 

 

 

    Levi observes the younger man in front of him. Eren sits completely still.

 

    "Oh." He says in a small voice. "I had… no idea." Levi nods in agreement.

 

    "I didn't think you would."

 

    Silence surrounds the two. Eren sits across from him, appearing to still be taking it all in. He wouldn't know, but this could be a pretty normal reaction. He takes another sip from his tea. Eren mimics him and takes a tiny sip from his coffee. Eren begins to speak.

 

    "When did you- you know, leave?" He questions. "I don't remember you at all."

 

    "Well, initially I wasn't going to leave. My own mom had died, but my father was still yet to be found. So even though your dad never really liked me, those two years I was with your family were some of the best years in my life. Anyways, your mom, at first, was waiting for them to find my dad so they could adopt me. But then…"

 

 

 

 

  

    Tears stream down Carla's face as she holds onto Levi's hands.

 

    "I am so sorry." Her face is a blotchy red. It only becomes like that when she's really upset.

 

    "What happened?" Eight-year-old Levi asks, feeling confused and nervous. What is it?

 

    Carla sobs. "I know I promised you. I know I said we would be a family." She bites her lip. Levi tenses. "But, Levi, you have to go now."

 

    He freezes. What?

 

    "I know, I know, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." She covers her eyes with her hands. A man, Carla's husband Grisha, appears behind her. He hugs her from behind, letting her burry her face into his shoulder. Levi stands still, shocked and stuck in disbelief.

 

    She sniffs, calming herself down. Carla puts a hand on her expanding stomach.

 

   "Levi," She sits down in front of him. He stares down at her. "You know how you asked why you didn't have a little brother? And how I said it's impossible for me to have a baby?" Levi nods.

 

   "Well, awhile ago I figured out that I can have a baby. And-" She looks away, tears gathering in her eyes again. "and we- we can't afford to have to both you and him right now. I'm sorry." Carla stands up, avoiding Levi's eyes, and walks to Grisha.

 

   A heavy feeling presents itself in his chest. Levi still hasn't moved. He stands there silently, his heart breaking more with every second that passes. They had been acting strange the past couple months, but he never thought that- his eyes widen. They are going to leave him.

 

  Grisha clears his throat and, still holding onto an emotional Carla, points to Levi's room.

 

  "While you were at school we packed your things." He states. "The car is coming any minute now. I would grab your bag."

 

  He was right.

 

  Only a few minutes later, Levi is surrounded by the walls of a van he thought he would never see again.

 

  A familiar deep voice calls to him from the front.

 

  "Welcome back."

 

  Levi has an eerie feeling he will be hearing those words a lot from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Levi. Did you notice how similar the two introductions to Levi were? Like mother like son. Anyways, the next chapter should be out within the next week.


End file.
